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Leicester City vs Leeds predictions:
- Leicester & under 3.5 goals - 2/1 with Betway
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to score or assist - 21/20 with bet365
- Crysencio Summerville over 0.5 shots on target – 1/1 with bet365
Bonfire Night comes early to Leicester with fireworks expected when the table-topping Foxes host Leeds on Friday in the biggest game of the season so far in the Championship (Sky Sports, 8pm).
Leicester are setting a record-breaking pace at the top of the table, winning 13 of their first 14 games to position themselves nicely for an immediate return to the Premier League.
A 2-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers last weekend made it nine straight wins for Enzo Maresca’s men and football betting sites make them favourites to come out on top against Leeds.
The Whites are 14 points adrift of the leaders in third but are trying their best to apply some pressure, winning five of their last seven games in the Championship.
After a stuttering start to the season, the West Yorkshire outfit are building a head of steam and thrashed Huddersfield 4-1 last time out.
Both sides are desperate to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking and even at this stage of the season, the stakes are high for the clash at the King Power Stadium.
Foxes fancied to keep on winning
These two sides were amongst the pre-season favourites for promotion with bookmakers and are living up to those expectations, in spectacular style in Leicester’s case.
The Foxes are the first team in the history of the second tier to win their first seven away games, while a win on Friday night would move them past the 40-point mark in record time.
Maresca, who was working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City before taking charge at Leicester, has done an excellent job getting his talented charges to adapt to his exacting standards.
Leicester’s possession-based approach has given them plenty of control in games and while it will be tested by Leeds’ excellent press, those at the back for the Foxes have shown they can play their way out of trouble.
Leeds will face a similar issue to the rest of the league in trying to prise open Leicester’s watertight backline, which has allowed the fewest goals (eight) in the Championship and has kept four straight home clean sheets.
The Whites have some excellent attacking options in the likes of Patrick Bamford, Daniel James, Georginio Rutter, Joel Piroe and Crysencio Summerville.
Farke has pledged to go on the offensive at Leicester, utilising an attack that’s created more big chances (30) than anyone else in the Championship and is blessed with plenty of pace.
However, Leicester are set up well to deal with the threat of Leeds on the counter and can negate a lot of what the visitors do well going forward. And if Leeds do break through, Foxes shot stopper Mads Hermansen has been excellent in goal, posting the division’s highest save percentage.
The other concern for Leeds is their patchy away record which includes two defeats in the last three games away from Elland Road, while they’ve failed to score in three of their seven road assignments.
With none of Leicester’s seven home games featuring over four goals this season, pairing under 3.5 goals with a home win at 2/1 with Betway is a potential option for what shapes up as a relatively low-scoring Foxes win.
Leicester’s excellent winning run will come to an end at some point, but they won’t want to pass up the chance to record a statement victory over one of their promotion rivals in front of a full house at the King Power Stadium.
Dewsbury-Hall to pull the strings
Leicester did well to restock their squad with quality players following last summer’s relegation with Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu having proven key attacking additions.
But knitting it all together between the two wideman and just behind the ageless Jamie Vardy is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who figures to have a big role again on Friday.
No one has registered more goal involvements in the Championship this season than Dewsbury-Hall, who has a league-best six assists and five goals to his name.
The 25-year-old has thrived with the extra responsibility of succeeding the departed James Maddison as Leicester’s playmaker and enters this game in excellent form.
Dewsbury-Hall has registered eight goal involvements in his last nine league appearances, including on ongoing run of an assist in three straight games.
Containing the creative midfielder is proving a tough task and he is 21/20 with bet365 to have a hand in a Leicester goal against Leeds.
Tip: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to score or assist - 21/20 with bet365
Summerville not afraid to shoot
Like Dewsbury-Hall, Crysencio Summerville is another player who has thrived taking on a bigger role for his team following relegation.
Summerville has been in excellent form of late and having shaken off a knock to be passed fit for this game, Leicester will need to be on their mettle against the left winger.
The 22-year-old scored a brace against Huddersfield last weekend and is now Leeds’ top scorer this season with six.
Despite having found the net with regularity of late and boasting the highest shots per game average of any Leeds player, new betting sites still seem to be underestimating the threat he poses.
Summerville is evens to have one shot on target at Leicester and his track record suggests that’s good value having had at least one shot on target in nine of his 12 appearances in all competitions this season.
Tip: Crysencio Summerville over 0.5 shots on target – 1/1 with bet365
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
